Deposit

A deposit is the transfer of funds into your brokerage trading account. Brokers typically accept multiple payment methods: bank wire transfers, credit/debit cards, e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller, and sometimes cryptocurrency. Each method has different processing times and fee structures.

Minimum deposit requirements vary enormously across brokers. Some let you start with as little as $1 or $5 (common with micro account types), while others require $200, $500, or even $10,000+ for certain account tiers. The minimum deposit doesn't necessarily reflect broker quality — some excellent brokers have low minimums to be accessible.

One practical tip: always deposit with a method you can also use for withdrawals. Some brokers require you to withdraw via the same method you deposited with (for anti-money-laundering compliance), up to the deposited amount. Profits above the deposit amount can usually be withdrawn via bank transfer.